Megiddo Factions
Code Geass is originally set in an alternate universe where three superpowers, the Holy Britannian Empire, the Chinese Federation, and the European Union have divided up control of the world (with the exception of an independent or uninhabited Australia) and maintain a tentative balance for the first part of the series. During the course of Megiddo, the balance shifts as the Chinese Federation is annexed by Britannia, thus reducing the number of superpowers to Britannia and Europe. Holy Britannian Empire The Holy Britannian Empire 'is an imperial monarchy and the most prominent superpower within the world of ''Code Geass, controlling over one-third of the world at the start of the series, based in North America with Pendragon as its capital city (located in place of Phoenix, Arizona). Britannian society is an aristocracy run according to a caricature of Social Darwinism, with a hierarchy of competing nobles at the top and the peoples of conquered territories (referred to either by their area number or as "Numbers") living in poverty or as unequal Honorary Britannians. During the original series, the Britannian Empire controls the entire Western Hemisphere (both American continents), New Zealand, and recently conquered Japan, as well as the recently conquered Middle East. During Megiddo, Britannia successfully annexes Mongolia, Pakistan, China, India and Afghanistan through political marriage between First Prince Odysseus and Chinese Empress Tianzi, while parts of Africa, Russia and Western Europe have been conquered from the latest war with the EU. The Britannian Empire began life in the midst of Julius Caesar's invasion of the British Isles, when a Celtic "super-king" Eowyn being elected to lead the various island tribes against the Romans, in turn successfully resisting the invasion. Soon after, the Britannian imperial line of absolute monarchy would begin, referred to in the establishment of the Britannian calendar era, "Ascension Throne Britannia" (a.t.b) or the Imperial Calendar, starting fifty five years earlier than the Gregorian calendar. The English monarchy was then identical to the real world until the death of Elizabeth I in 1658 a.t.b. (1603 AD). Rather than her dying without propogating, she had an illegitimate son "Henry IX" who took the throne instead of the House of Stuart's James I, thus starting the so-called "Golden Age of the Tudor Dynasty. Later on in the nineteenth century, descendent Elizabeth III died after losing the British Isles to Napoleon (and the capital moved to the American territories), and a new royal line was established by a prominent noble family. European Union The '''European Union , or E.U., is a economic and political union encompassing all of Europe (including Great Britain), Africa, and Russia. Its capital city was originally located in Paris, France, but in the advent of a previous world war, it had been relocated to Nuremburg, Germany. Compared to Imperialistic Britannia, the EU is a liberal democratic union of states, in which each state's population elects a President, who serves as the administrator of that state, and a Representative of the state before a central government known as the Central Hemicycle. The EU as a whole is headed by a Chancellor, who is voted unanimously by the European states among the various Presidents. Though it would not come into being until the early nineteenth century, the European Union's roots began during the Age of Revolution, in which almost every nation of Europe fell into systematic revolutions that ousted the ruling monarchies, with only Britannia maintaining its own. In the aftermath of the French Revolution, General Napoleon Bonaparte would stage a coup against the newly established republican government, in which he declared himself President of France. From there, Napoleon would go on to open diplomatic channels to other reformed European countries, eventually convincing them to unite under one (his) banner as the European Union. Throughout its history, the EU would be in conflict with its primary rival, Britannia. In the beginning it was the EU that performed the unthinkable and conquered the British Isles for the first time since William the Conquerer in 1066 AD (1121 a.t.b.), forcing the ruling monarchy to flee to the Americas and reestablish the Imperial capital there. Then in 1914 AD (1969 a.t.b.), a Britannian Emperor would be assassinated on European soil, causing Britannia to invade Europe and start the first Great World War. During that period and well after, the European state of Germany would rise to prominence by being Europe's main source of arms, as well as establishing Nuremburg as the new capital after the fall of Paris. From that point on, the EU would engage in minor skirmishes with Britannia until the Empire formally declared war again in 1965 AD (2020 a.t.b.). With the Chinese Federation no longer existant, the European Union stands as the last rival superpower to Britannia. Chinese Federation The Chinese Federation' '''is a Marxist political federation that spans the Asian and Pacific regions, including Central, South, East, and Southeast Asia, with Sakhalin and the Korean Peninsula and is the most populous (and poverty-stricken) of the three superpowers. Though it still retains a constitutional monarchy, complete with an Emperor regarded as a living divinity and holding great political power, its government and political structure is based along the lines of communist principles, namely the centralization of resources and promotion of social equality, thus making the Federation into a federal socialist republic as well. However, this governing system was perverted under the High Eunichs, advisors to the Emperor that were originally meant to represent the people's will to the monarch, but instead had become the true rulers from the background. The Vermilion Forbidden City is the seat of the Chinese Emperor and the government of the Federation is a large palace situated in the capital city of Luoyang. Historically, the shift from the Empire of China to the Federation began in the aftermath of the Xinhai Rebellion of 1914 AD (1969 a.t.b.), in which the ruling Qing Dynasty is ousted and replaced by the newly established Jiang Dynasty. Heavily influenced by the works of western philosophers Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, this new line of rulers would alter the Chinese government to fit communist philosophy, while retaining the monarchy of course. Later on, in fear of being conquered by either Britannia or Europe, the Chinese launched a land war (known as the War of the Orient) that would encompass land from Afghanistan to the west all the to the Korean Peninsula to the east as Federal territory. However, this territorial growth would come costly to the Federation, as its key resources soon become drained, leading to an outgrowth of poverty to overtake the land. In the original series, the Chinese Federation attempted to invade Japan on the pretext of "liberation" using exiled former Japanese officials, but in the end Britannia was able to thwart the invasion with indirect support from Zero and the Black Knights, who were not fooled by the Federation's intentions. Meanwhile, the resistance movement in India lends the Black Knights their lead weapons designer, Rakshata, in hopes that an independent Japan will in return aide them in gaining independence from China. In Megiddo, Britannian Second Prince Schneizel el Britannia would seek to annex the Federation into the Empire through a political marriage between his brother Odysseus and the Empress Tianzi, Jiang Lihua. However, in the midst of the ceremony, General Li Xingke, otherwise known as the Chinese Tiger, would abduct the Empress and spirit her away from the capital with a rebel army. In spite of this, the High Eunuchs soon bring about a new Tianzi as a replacement, and the marriage is concluded with the Federation being reestablished as newly founded Areas, all with the former High Eunuchs (now becoming part of Britannian nobility) serving as administrators. Though now Britannian territory, these Areas are still impovished for the local Numbers while Britannian colonists live in high luxury. Much like with Japan, a rebellion is created to reestablish the Federation under the original Tianzi, made up of former elements of the Federation's original military force. This resistance movement is known as the '''Chinese Revolutionary Army'. Republic of Japan Gaining contact to the western world through Marco Polo's expedition to the east, Japan would become the world's main resource for the high energy mineral known as sakuradite, which in turn was named after its similar color to Japanese cherry blossom trees. Originally a feudal land, the emergence of the Boshin War would change the island nation into a western influenced Republic, lead by a Prime Minister in place of a Shogun. From that point, it would become one of the key players in world affairs, until Britannia conquered it in retaliation for the Oriental Incident, as well as to gain control of the sakuradite. Japan would soon after be renamed Area 11 under Britannian rule. However, as Japan's military had not been entirely exhausted at the point of its conquering, resistance activity in the Area was much higher than that of any other region, cumulating into the Black Rebellion. To keep Japan from falling into foreign hands, the Britannians enacted Operation Nero and destroyed the entirety of the islands and its population. In truth however, there were more than ten thousand survivors through the entire chain of islands, including members of the Black Knights. Sometime later, these survivors would be transported to Okinawa, the only Japanese prefecture that had not become part of Area 11 and so existed as an independent nation, where they would be settled. In turn, the Black Knights would use Okinawa as their main headquarters and manufacturing center, eventually reorganizing themselves into a full military force.